IKnowWho killed me
by Nattle Sage
Summary: He was a Heir of Slytherin, she was called Miss Perfection. Brought together by selfish goals, what seemed to be rivalry turned into something unexpected. Danger, desires, affection, beauty and pretence led them to the edge neither of them could surmount.
1. Chapter 1

N/A: Well, I decided to finally start a story and it obviously is Tom/OC. The story starts in Harry's sixth year and will progress as such in several chapters. Have patience and you'll see what really happened with poor Tom before he became Lord Voldemort. I personally believe that anyone who never new the love of the family, would instinctively search for affection, even if he would carefully hide it from himself. So, the story of what could've been in the past if only someone would've broken through the thick walls Tom erected around himself.

Please, be patient and let me know what you think about it.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except a pair of my characters, sadly...

I-Know-Who killed me

Prologue

"And now," said Dumbledore, placing the stone basin upon the desk and emptying the contents of the bottle into it. "Now, at last. We shall see. Harry, quickly . . ." Harry bowed over the Pensieve and felt his feet leave the floor. . . .

… Once again he fell through darkness and landed in Slughorn's office. The professor held a small glass of wine in one hand, while rummaging in a box of crystallized pineapple with the other. There were the half dozen of boys and girls sitting around him, all the members of the so-called "The Slug Club", with Tom Riddle in the midst of them, gold-and-black ring gleaming on his finger.

"Sir, is it true that Professor Merrythought is retiring?"

"Tom, Tom, if I knew I couldn't tell you," said Slughorn, wag­ging his finger reprovingly at Riddle, though winking at the same time. "I must say, I'd like to know where you get your information, boy, more knowledgeable than half the staff, you are."

Riddle smiled, while the others laughed and cast him admiring looks, all, but one girl sitting to his right. For a moment Harry thought that she might roll her eyes at him, however the exquisite features of her face did not change and a small knowing charming smile still played on her lips.

"With your uncanny ability to know things you shouldn't, and your careful flattery of the people who matter, I confidently expect you to rise to Minister of Magic within twenty years. Fifteen, if you keep sending me pineapple, I have ex­cellent contacts at the Ministry." Slughorn was pleased to no end by such urbane treatment from his favorite student. Tom Riddle merely smiled as the others laughed again.

"I don't know that politics would suit me, sir," he said when the laughter had died away. "I don't have the right kind of background, for one thing."

"Nonsense," said Slughorn briskly, "couldn't be plainer you come from decent Wizarding stock, abilities like yours. No, you'll go far, Tom, I've never been wrong about a student yet."

"I'm sure he would," the girl to Riddle's right said sweetly, though there wasn't any sign of adoration in her voice. Slughorn gave the girl a smile and Harry was sure that she was also top on his favorites' list.

"Of course, you yourself should think of the decent position, Miss Van Tassel. No doubt, with your talents and outstanding results at school, you'll succeed in any field you choose."

"Thank you, professor," the girl smiled even brighter and suddenly Harry felt a warm feeling rise in his chest. Whoever the girl was she certainly had a gift of making people feel comfortable and appreciated, that smile of hers seemed utterly sincere.

Suddenly the small golden clock standing upon Slughorn's desk chimed eleven o'clock and he looked around.

"Good gracious, is it that time already? You'd better all get going, or we'll be in trouble. Lestrange, I want your essay in by tomorrow or it's detention. Same goes for you, Avery."

One by one, the students filed out of the room. Slughorn heaved himself out of his armchair and carried his empty glass over to his desk. Riddle however, stayed behind, deliberately dawdling, as if wanting to be last in the room with Slughorn. The girl, Van Tassel, as professor Slughorn called her, was the last to live. Just as she reached the door she stopped and there happened something that Harry could neither expect nor understand. In one graceful motion she turned around, her eyes meeting Tom's cold stare. It looked as some kind of non-verbal communication passed between the two. Then, to Harry's great surprise, Voldemort slowly shook his head, and the girl, who seemed to interpret the movement, shifted her gaze to Slughorn, who turned around to face them, and gave him the most amiable smile.

"Good night, professor! Good night, Tom." She called, her voice melodious and at the same time poised.

"Good night, charming Miss Van Tassel!" Slughorn answered with a large smile of his own. Tom merely nodded.

When she was almost gone, the girl looked back at Riddle and their eyes met again, though this time Voldemort only smirked…

* * *

…Harry was about to leave the headmaster's office, hundreds of thoughts whirling in his head, about Horcruxes and the Prophecy and all the possible ways to destroy Voldemort, when he remembered something he saw in Slughorn's memories. His curiosity was nagging him to ask Dumbledore about that particular thing that surprised him so much.

"Um, professor?" He started not very sure of how to approach the subject.

"Yes, Harry? Is there something you wanted to ask?" Dumbledore looked at him intently from behind his desk. Finally Harry decided it was better to spill everything out as it was.

"There, in the memory, the girl, she seemed to…well…she seemed to know Voldemort well…" Harry stopped abruptly. He was not sure, but for the moment it seemed that Dumbledore's face paled a bit, and the twinkles left his eyes.

"Harry, she was just a student, a prominent one, very talented, everyone loved her," it seemed Dumbledore was reluctant to say more then necessary. "Violet Van Tassel was a Ravenclaw, in Tom's year, they both were in Slughorn's club, that's all that I can tell you, Harry." Dumbledore finished with a deep sigh and smiled at the boy, before continuing cheerfully. "Well, I don't think you should bother yourself with small insignificant details now, when we need to concentrate on one thing – finding Horcruxes. Now, I kept you late already, go and get some rest."

Harry understood that the talk was over and left the office, wishing Dumbledore a good night. He, however, could not get rid of the feeling that there was much more to that girl than professor wanted him to know. Harry could swear that Dumbledore didn't want him to find out about her and that once again proved him that this Violet Van Tassel was somehow connected to Voldemort. She could've been one of the followers, probably a Death Eater, though the fact that she was a Ravenclaw confused him. He should try to find out about her. Harry didn't know why, but it seemed important. After tossing and turning in his bed for half an hour, Harry finally sank into sleep with blurring, agonizing dreams about Tom Riddle, the splitting of the soul and a girl of rare exquisite beauty with dark-violet eyes…

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

Well, here comes the first chapter. Even though it looks that it's a Mary Sue a lot, well, it probably is, but, think, what kind of girl would Voldemort prefer? I guess, she must be at least as popular as he is, smart and adored by everyone. The other thing is that perfection, sometimes can be a mask of pretence and only few, the closest one would see one's true colors.

So, until the next chapter! Please, enjoy and review!

Сhapter 1

The next morning as they were sitting in the Great Hall, Harry confided in both Ron and Hermione all about his night journey and both friends seemed absolutely awed by the story of Voldemort's Horcruxes and Dumbledore's promise to take Harry along, should he find another one. Harry couldn't help but share his suspicions about the mysterious girl in Slughorn's memory. Ron only shook his shoulders, considering it not so important in comparison to all the previous news. Hermione, however, took a gloomier view.

"Do you think she really had something to do with You-Know-Who?" She asked her brows furrowing as she scolded a second-year boy for throwing food at his neighbor. "I mean, probably Dumbledore was right and she was simply curious about why he tried to speak with professor privately?"

"No, Hermione, there's something more to it," Harry tried to reasonably explain his feelings. "It looked like…like they knew each other too well, like they understood each other without words…"

"Well, I don't understand what all these have to do with your task at hand," Ron asked gulping down his pumpkin juice. "Maybe she was his girlfriend or something…"

"I'm more worried about how Dumbledore avoided talking about her, as if he deliberately tried to hide her true identity," Harry once again remembered the feeling of tension that filled headmaster's office once he mentioned the Ravenclaw girl.

"Harry's right," Hermione said out of the sudden. "If Dumbledore is concealing how she was connected with You-Know-Who, she must've done something important in the past."

"Yeah, Dumbledore didn't tell me about Voldemort being Tom Riddle," Harry felt more and more confident that the story goes much deeper than it seemed. "What if Dumbledore doesn't tell me about her, because she was one of his followers or did something terrible…"

"Like opening the Chamber of Secrets?" Ron prompted ironically.

"It's not funny, Ron," Hermione scolded him slightly. "The past is too dark to see, even Dumbledore can't know everything that happened there." They all fell silent for a moment, before Ron stood up and reminded Harry about the Quidditch practice they had that morning. In the entrance hall they said good-bye to Hermione, who was going to the Library to finish her DADA essay.

"Harry!" Hermione called after him, before he and Ron left the castle. "What, what the girl's name?"

"Um, Violet, Violet Van Tassel, I think." Hermione nodded and went away.

* * *

The practice went on good. All the players were skillfully practicing new techniques, that were to baffle the adversaries, though Harry still thought they were not trained enough to win the upcoming match with Slytherin. After two hours of tiring flying and attempts to avoid the Bludgers, he and Ron entered the castle, sweating and dreaming of nothing but a hot shower. However as soon as they came in, friends noticed Hermione hurrying toward them, her face excited and impatient.

"Guys, I found something about the girl. I think you should see it." The trio harried to the library, Harry immediately forgetting all the thoughts of a shower.

"Here!" With a thud an old-looking thick album hit the table. Both Harry and Ron exchanged puzzled glances before staring at Hermione for explanation. She only rolled her eyes at their obvious lack of knowledge. "This is the so-called Chronicles of Hogwarts, you know it's the same as graduation albums of Muggles…"

"I didn't know they make them, I mean, Bill and Charlie never mentioned they had one," Ron looked very perplexed.

"Right, because now they don't have them. Well, they were in fashion when Armando Dippet was a headmaster. I think he considered it a refined addition to the whole education process. Anyway, this book contains the information about most prominent students of the year, all the prefects, honor students, activists and the like. And here goes our girl," Hermione skipped several yellowish pages and both Ron and Harry gasped. The first that met their eyes was a photo of a young man of 17, handsome face, thin features, dark hair and a light almost arrogant smirk – they instantly recognized Tom Riddle. The inscription at the top of the page said he was a Head Boy. Shifting his gaze to the next page Harry saw the Head Girl. Violet Van Tassel was even more beautiful than when he saw her in Slughorn's memory. On the old photo she seemed an epitome of aristocratic beauty, her porcelain skin, was glowing as well as rich brown hair, streaming down her shoulders in soft waves. Her eyes, which color Harry instinctively pointed out as violet, were striking velvet that left a long-lasting expression on everyone. She smiled a secretive smile that made Harry's heart lip inside his ribcage. Even now, simply looking at her picture, he felt a strange warm feeling, the same he had in the memory, envelope him. Looking at Ron he could tell his friend experienced the same.

"Wow!" Ron whispered astonished. "No wonder she was made a Head Girl."

"Ron!" Hermione indignantly elbowed him in the ribs. Ignoring his "ouch", she turned the page of the album revealing even more confusing picture. It showed all the members of the Slug club gathered around the much younger professor Slughorn. Directly to his right stood Violet Van Tassel, smiling brightly, seemingly unaware of all the other boys steeling rapt glances at her from time to time. Next to her stood Tom Riddle, looking straight into the camera with a smug expression on his handsome face. However what really caught the trio's attention was his hand wrapped around the girl's waist perhaps a bit too firmly to be considered a simple meaningless gesture. Moreover, Harry guessed Voldemort, most likely, was not prone to unnecessary human contact.

"She must've been his girlfriend," Ron said confidently. "At least, if I were to think You-Know-Who had I girlfriend, I would point her at once. She…"

"She must've been a Death Eater," Hermione interrupted, somewhat offended at Ron's reaction to the Head Girl of 1945.

"Even if she wasn't, why no one mentioned her before?" Harry asked taking another look at the pair. Only now he noticed a group of Slytherins standing behind them as silent guards, Avery, Lestrange, Malfoy and some others he couldn't recognize. "Not even Dumbledore. When I asked him she said she was just a prominent student."

"Maybe he didn't tell you because…well…she was not of much importance," Ron tried meekly. Harry pushed his hand through unruly black hair, trying to find the words that would persuade friends that girl was not just "any".

"Dumbledore told me I should learn about Voldemort's past to fight with him, and yet he is reluctant to share "unimportant" as he says information with me. Why? What happened between this girl and Tom Riddle, so that even Dumbledore is unwilling to tell the truth?"

"Harry, why don't you ask him yourself?" Hermione sighed deeply.  
"Just tell him you saw the pictures and…"

"He won't listen to me, Hermione!" Harry cried out desperately, and immediately received a glare from Madame Pince. "Just like he didn't when I tried to speak to him about my connection with Voldemort. No, I think it's useless. At least until we find some more important information about Violet. Something he won't be able to ignore."

"This is hopeless, Harry," Ron groaned. "Whatever happened, if anything, it took place fifty years ago. How, in Merlin's name, you are going to find out something?"

"Actually…" Hermione drawled thoughtfully, "there is one way. I'm not sure if it's going to help us, moreover we will break at least ten school rules…"


End file.
